THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Eschaton on March 17, 2015, 12:46:21 AM

Title: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Eschaton on March 17, 2015, 12:46:21 AM: http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/12496480/san-francisco-49ers-linebacker-chris-borland-retires-head-injury-concerns

old dudes years in the game going out is one thing, but a 24 year old in his prime? :kobeyuck That's not a good look.

NBA got next? MLB back to glory days? :hitler
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Discotheque on March 17, 2015, 12:50:42 AM: look at the will smith movie coming out this year too
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322364/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

the topic is gonna reach critical mass in the media this year no doubt.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: benjipwns on March 17, 2015, 12:53:28 AM: Hey! Look over there, that team is named the Redskins! THE REDSKINS!
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Kara on March 17, 2015, 12:59:02 AM: I wish they would. TBH, I've sort of stopped watching football (and hockey to a lesser extent) because even I can't bring myself to watch people maim themselves that totally for entertainment no matter how much money or informed consent the participants have and really nothing soothes the soul like yelling RAIDERSSSSSSSSSSSSS at an illuminated screen when they finally get 7 points on the board after coughing up 42 beforehand.

I suppose I could take up Millwall football, but I'll be assed if I voluntarily watch lower division football in the UK ever again + I already pretend to support a club with leonine trappings.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on March 17, 2015, 01:02:31 AM: I hope it goes the other way and people realize that we are all too sensitive about people hurting themselves for our entertainment. Then maybe we can bring back gladiator battles.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: mormapope on March 17, 2015, 01:05:32 AM: Go to 4:45 to see the most fucked up part.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyhJxVM8v10

That shit still freaks me out. Being that fucked up that quickly? :anhuld

EDIT: That documentary lays out what happens on a biological level. Playing football essentially gives players a unique brain disease, and the effects/damage can be caused as early as highschool ball potentially.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: mormapope on March 17, 2015, 01:20:54 AM: Its really hard to know what can be done to prevent or manage these injuries, which is why the NFL has decided to almost nothing about it (along with not giving a fuck in general). Football helmets can be redesigned, sure, but there's only so much protection you can give a mutant dude that collides with another mutant dude.

As for management for those injured, it would take a lot of research/cash to find treatments for CTE (which should come out of the NFL's pocket). Unless there are already drugs or treatment options that don't get utilized, then that's on the NFL again for not giving a fuck.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: benjipwns on March 17, 2015, 01:23:01 AM: What has the NHL done? I know before their lockout fest they were trying to cut down on concussions and other head injuries.

Many NBA teams use pretty strict head injury rules after Maurice Stokes.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: dkdk on March 17, 2015, 01:26:33 AM: I don't think there's much they can do tbh w/o switching to 7 on 7 flag puss bullshit or something like that. The problem starts before you even get to the NFL.

Football is just too taxing a sport as long as tackling is involved.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: I'm a Puppy! on March 17, 2015, 01:42:11 AM: Hey man, if I'm paying for the ticket and the jerseys and all that, those guys better be hyped on horse steroids. I mean do you know what a ticket to an NFL game costs nowadays?

I'd better get my money's worth. Yeeehaaw!!

spoiler (click to show/hide)
Just kidding, I don't watch handegg anymore lol
[close]
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: ToxicAdam on March 17, 2015, 02:06:22 AM: Not to defend the NFL here, but they are getting these guys after they have spent 10-12 years of their life in lower tier football where concussion protocol is virtually nil. If anything, it's the high schools and colleges that are more abhorrent because they are barely compensating them.

It pains me to say that, because I love college football still.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Mandark on March 17, 2015, 02:13:30 AM: Aw, Chris Borland? Bill Barnwell's going to be super sad on the next Grantland podcast.

Boxing's the popular cautionary tale, losing athletes to other sports because of head trauma concerns, etc. But (with basically no knowledge) I get the sense that had as much to do with organizational fuckery, and the higher number of decent-paying jobs/scholarships available in team sports. Don't see American football or the NFL going that way soon.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: fistfulofmetal on March 17, 2015, 02:14:26 AM: one of the most disgusting thing i've seen was this guy i knew from work post that his kid got a concussion from playing football and in the post he was like 'can't wait until he's healed up so he can get back into game'

fucking child endangerment right there.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: benjipwns on March 17, 2015, 02:22:17 AM: High school and lower tier sports parents I never have really understood. Like growing up I saw the most protectionist and doting parents suddenly be pushing their kid into fifteen sports and running them like that screaming from sidelines and shit.

And complaining about how much they have to pay for all the sports equipment, why can't the schools take care of that?!?
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Kara on March 17, 2015, 03:59:44 AM: Quote from: ToxicAdam on March 17, 2015, 02:06:22 AM
Not to defend the NFL here, but they are getting these guys after they have spent 10-12 years of their life in lower tier football where concussion protocol is virtually nil. If anything, it's the high schools and colleges that are more abhorrent because they are barely compensating them.

It pains me to say that, because I love college football still.

I'm having trouble watching college football these days for the same reasons as NFL football, though it's harder to break when you were part of the same institution as the team at one point in your life.

If only UCLA hadn't mothballed its basketball team due to disinterest. :shaq2
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Pickles the Firecat on March 17, 2015, 04:22:49 AM: Quote from: benjipwns on March 17, 2015, 01:23:01 AM
What has the NHL done? I know before their lockout fest they were trying to cut down on concussions and other head injuries.

They've punted addressing the issue in real ways, honestly because the league is low profile enough to fly under the radar and hockey fans are fucking savages to begin with. There have been a lot of smaller moves--just as there have been in the NFL--to reduce concussions, like forcing players with concussion-like symptoms out of the game. But a large part of that is self-regulatory and NHL players are probably less inclined to pull themselves out of a game than players from any other sport. I will say that on a surface level NHL franchises seem to hold players out longer after a concussion of any severity. Much longer really, Alec Martinez has been day-to-day with a concussion since early February and won't be back any time soon despite practicing for the past week or so. Middle of a playoff race, one point back from a spot.

I would also say the NHL is much closer than the NFL in making major landscape changes that could reduce concussions (and general injury risk). The league is going to make rinks larger, reducing hitting (~5 years and probably the biggest possible change close to being a reality). The league is going to ban fighting (~8 years and a significant contributing factor to league wide concussions). The league is probably going to shorten the schedule and reduce B2B scheduling soon. The league has already come down on most large hits and skill players are only going to be protected and emphasized more. And there's a lot more coming.

The big domino will be incorporating international rules that prevent checking as it exists in the NHL, which (combined with bigger ice) drastically reduces the number of plays that can result in a concussion per game. I think we're going to see a big push for bringing that over in some form after fighting is gone (and pretty much everyone on both sides is in agreement that fighting is a matter of time) but it won't be soon. The NFL equivalent would be removing helmets and dropping pad sizes, it becomes a fundamentally different game. But that's the only way to make it a fundamentally safe game.

But this is still the same league and media that shit all over Eric Lindros for not playing through a Goddamn concussion 15 some years ago.

edit:

Should add that for anyone who hasn't seen the league since the LOCKOUT-lockout the level of violence has decreased pretty much inline with the NFL and the game has changed a LOT. All of that above is from a post-2004 mindset. Basically, here's an eight minute Scott Stevens hits compilation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAPYh6z_eGg

And here's the ten best hits of 2014:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1m1E63eY8g
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: G The Resurrected on March 17, 2015, 05:35:42 AM: do you know what has changed in 30 years of NFL? The average players weight has reach an all time high. Back in the 40/50's football was played by guys who were under 200 pounds. Now you've got players that are minimum 200 pounds and go all the way up to 400 pounds. The easiest way the NFL could deal with this issue is to put weight limits on specific players. You can argue that it's about athleticism to allow players to be that large, but honestly it's what I think is causing a great number of the injuries sustained in football.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Am_I_Anonymous on March 17, 2015, 07:35:41 AM: No comment.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Beezy on March 17, 2015, 07:40:53 AM: Just came in back in here to ask where does AIA stand on this. :lol
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: benjipwns on March 17, 2015, 07:53:25 AM: Quote from: Pickles the Firecat on March 17, 2015, 04:22:49 AM
And here's the ten best hits of 2014:
Some of those look more like accidents or last second than deliberate and targeted.

Of course 90% of my hockey knowledge comes from playing NHL 2002 with almost all the rules turned off.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Brehvolution on March 17, 2015, 08:29:58 AM: Nope. It's the nature of the game.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Phoenix Dark on March 17, 2015, 10:17:29 AM: The Shane Morris situation last year really seemed to begin a shift in how college football handles concussions. It's becoming a recruiting issue as programs work to provide safety assurances to parents. So I agree with ToxicAdam in that sense.

I gotta say when I watched the game live, initially I thought he just got the wind knocked out of him. But when he stands up it's clear something is wrong.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N1mIcYz-DM8

Don't see how any parent would let their kid play for Hoke. Disgusting.
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Brehvolution on March 17, 2015, 11:24:35 AM: All I got in HS football was at least 1 concussion, a stinger, and 2 broken ribs all on separate occasions.

Volunteer to be the look team RB against your number 1 defense, brehs. :duh
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Kara on March 17, 2015, 12:10:25 PM: Quote from: WRATH VICE™ on March 17, 2015, 11:42:08 AM
Who's the one guy who voted yes on the poll? :lol

They won't, at least not for a while. Hoping they do.

Guy? Why so gender essentialist. :bolo

It was me, BTW. To go on record, I voted ~~for the war before I voted against the war~~ both yes and no, I like to call it the Deus Ex: Invisible War variant of single-transferrable vote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTgk8XW7tWo
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Kara on March 17, 2015, 12:22:10 PM: I prefer to think of it as Adbusters-esque ineffectual culture jamming. :bolo
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: ToxicAdam on March 17, 2015, 01:01:52 PM: Quote from: Vularai on March 17, 2015, 12:10:25 PM

gender essentialist.

:dead
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Kara on March 17, 2015, 01:40:46 PM: it's funny cuz i gender essentialize myself with my current title :win
Title: Re: Can the NFL fix its concussion problem?
Post by: Brehvolution on March 17, 2015, 01:47:56 PM: Quote from: Esch on March 17, 2015, 11:28:26 AM
Quote from: Brehvolution on March 17, 2015, 11:24:35 AM
All I got in HS football was at least 1 concussion, a stinger, and 2 broken ribs all on separate occasions.

Volunteer to be the look team RB against your number 1 defense, brehs. :duh

I'm still to this day not sure if I ever got one while playing. I was an o and d lineman tho, so most of the hitting and hits i received was without a lot of speed involved. I've obviously at the very least taken quite a few subconcussive hits from boxing in college / martial arts when I was younger.

Might have once during a kickoff. Ran into this guy full speed and saw black for a second, but idk if it was because i close my eyes after the impact or... worse (http://i.imgur.com/JgZs64Q.png)

The hit I gave and got the stinger on made me see blue for a couple seconds.